khaire apollon

and you, o lord apollo, god of the silver bow

[praise-to-phoibos]

χαῖρε

My name is Nocturne She/they | 18 | Polytheist

This blog is dedicated to the worship of Apollo and associated deities. Therefore, this is a religious blog and not related to any fandom.

Apollo is the first god I've ever worship in my current religious practice, he was recommended to me by a helpol friend since I am drawn to art and Apollo is the god of arts. Since then my kharis with him grew, and I went through a lot with him. To show my sincerest gratitude for my god, I decide to make this blog for him.

FYI

I have another blog in tumblr which is no longer active. I made this new blog to shift my focus and start anew.

I like sharing what I've learned, but I am not an academic expert in this field. Doing your own research is encouraged.

Anyone who isn't worshipping Apollo or the Greek theoi are still welcome, yes even if you're an Abrahamic religion follower, just be nice :]]

This post may have future edits depending on what I want to add.

I do not adhere to the reconstructionist or revivalist label, I incorporate both elements in my practice. Both paths are valid and they're important to the modern Hellenic Polytheism.

Boundaries

Racists, neo-nazis, pro-ICE, zios, terfs, sexists (misogyny, misandry), homophobe, gen AI supporters, etc... DNI. Any bigotry and hate will not be tolerated in here.

I suggest if you are a Wiccan, you avoid interacting with this page as well. I am uncomfortable by the beliefs it's rooted in.

If you seek to convert me. I am happy in my own religion and I am happy worshipping Apollo.

[adistraughtjester]

I am hoping that this is some sort of exaggeration or oversimplification because this is just blatant erasure of a major element of Greek culture and replaced by a more Christian version and I want to bang my head into a wall. That’s not what xenia is, and you just erased a major part of the Odyssey.

[adistraughtjester]

@watchanddream Sure! This got a bit lengthier than I intended, but I wanted to try and be thorough.

Put far too simply, xenia is the practice of hospitality, but it's also a ritual and in a sense a contract between guest and host. When a stranger arrives at your doorstep, you're expected to feed them and give them a gift as the host. Typically, you're not even supposed to ask them their name until they've finished their meal. Once you've done this as the host, the guest is now expected to share stories and information about themselves, and not burden you or your household. Typically, people focus on how hosts violate xenia, but guests can also violate xenia.

This is called a guest-friendship, and once it's established, you are expected to offer the same to your host should they ever visit. It's a ritual of hospitality, yes, but it's also used to establish alliances and can be passed down through generations. For example, in the Iliad, when Glaucus and Diomedes discover that their grandparents were guest-friends, they decide not to fight, but rather exchange armor.

Theoxeny is a common story you see in myth where a god (typically Zeus) disguises themselves as a mortal and requests to be hosted by someone. Should the host follow the rules of xenia, they'll be rewarded, but if they fail, they'll be punished or killed.

This is important to the Odyssey, as it comes up multiple times, but in particular, the cyclops, and the suitors. In both these instances, Odysseus arrives disguised and gives a false name, the practices of xenia are failed, and Odysseus reveals himself and punishes the one that failed to follow xenia. The suitors in particular fail xenia, as they both fail as hosts, AND as guests, for burdening Odysseus's household.

Xenia being treated as the golden rule comes across to me like a Christian reinterpretation, as while many Greek philosophers did have something similar to the golden rule, those were philosophers, and the idea that it's a religious command from a god seems much more in line with a Christian idea of where the rule comes from. (Note, I'm aware that other religions had something similar, even as a command from a god, but I highly doubt Nolan is drawing inspiration from those instances)

[khaire-traveler]

🐺 Subtle Leto Worship 🌴

Keep stuffed animals of wolves, roosters, frogs, quails, and mongooses/weasels

Have imagery of veils, wolves, roosters, mongooses/weasels, frogs, quails, family (as a concept or literally those you consider family), twins, island of Delos, palm trees, and motherhood/mothers (however you conceptualize this)

Donate to/volunteer for an organization that supports single mothers/parents, families escaping abuse, or children in dangerous situations

Donate to/volunteer for wolf sanctuaries or organizations aiming to protect wolves

Donate to/volunteer for organizations supporting transgender folks, especially trans parents or youths

Support transgender people in your life (yes, really!); show kindness to them (this includes yourself, if you are trans)

Donate child care supplies to homeless shelters, children's organizations, new parents in your life, etc.

Offer childcare assistance to any new parents/mothers in your life

Water/care for a palm tree

Keep a picture of her in your wallet

Keep jewelry that reminds you of her

Have a candle that reminds you of her

Spend quality time with your kids or any kids in your life that you're close with

Give a surprise gift to any kids in your life - something they've been wanting or would enjoy; play with them, if you can

Practice humility and humbleness; temper your pride

Wear a veil on your head, especially when honoring her; veils don't have to be obvious (link to veiling advice)

Spend time meditating at night, especially on a new moon/particularly dark night (veil while doing so, if possible)

Spend time meditating at the break of dawn, just as darkness turns to light (veil while doing so, if possible)

Pay respects to any maternal or mother ancestors that you know/were close with

Drink water from a pitcher you keep in a dark, cool place (Please be safe about this!!! Mold is real; do not drink anything with weird stuff in it!!!)

Drink a cold, relaxing tea

Cook a meal for a mother in your life, be it your own mother or someone you love who is a mother; if none, cook a meal for any kids in your life

Acknowledge her offspring, Artemis and Apollon, even in passing

Practice modesty and simplicity; ex: donating things you have too much of, trying not to speak over others, listening before speaking, etc.

Take a bath/shower in dim lighting (be careful, please!)

Listen/dance to music that evokes a sense of mystery, mystique, or transformation

Practice patience, especially with yourself or children in your life

Be kind to yourself while healing from illness/hardship

Show support for professions who work with kids; if you work with kids yourself, be sure to engage in self-care after your shift

If you work with kids or parents, educate yourself about child psychology (maybe do this if you have kids in your life in general, if you can); apply your knowledge

If you're a parent, educate yourself on the four parenting models; try to learn more about child psychology to support your kids emotionally

If you're a parent, educate yourself on parental burnout; find ways to support yourself emotionally

-

This is my list of discreet ways to worship Leto! I may add more in the future. May Leto allow your family to prosper and look after the young folks in your life, if you wish her to! 🧡

Link to Subtle Worship Master List

[praise-to-phoibos]

Babe wake up, new subtle worship post just dropped and it's about Leto :DDD

[wrathful-warhound]

Hello!! Your moodboards are very lovely. May I request one for Apollo Lykeios as a wolf-god? Thank you :]]

Apollo Lykios (of the wolves)

[praise-to-phoibos]

Thank you <33

[travelingthief]

Hello everyone!!

Want to let everyone know that the user @/equallyliquidheretic is running a scam where they offer a huge lot of tarot cards and witchy books for free if buyer pays for shipping. There’s no lot, they just want to charge you for the shipping Be safe out there!

[stardayzzing]

This art piece is more of a love note to Apollo himself as I've been healing for 6 days now and I do reach out to him in practices at times

But I also deeply missed drawing him so even though this isnt super clean, me drawing him first after a medical leave felt important :)

And now I can get back to work...

[homey-worshiper]

AI has no place in paganism. I cannot imagine worshipping Demeter and destroying everything that represents her. I cannot imagine worshipping Amphitrite and Poseidon and actively poisoning them. I cannot imagine worshipping Hera, Hestia and Zeus and taking people's houses for AI centres.

Spend years learning to draw and write. Learn to be a person again.

[fernthewhimsical]

I was thinking about making a rainbow spread based on the pride flag colours, but Interrobang Tarot beat me to it! Not only that, it's part of a free e-book with seven queer inspired spreads! Go check it out

[divinationsanctuary19]

Your daily dose of Apollo

[praise-to-phoibos]

Khaire Apollo!!

[praise-to-phoibos]

On this day...

At 23rd and 24th May, which marks the 6th and 7th day of Thargelion in the Attic Calendar, is Thargelia, a two-day festival dedicated to Apollo, and also Artemis.

This agricultural festival was considered to be more Apollo-centric, but Artemis can also be honored since the 6th day of the month is sacred to her.

The origins for this festival was rather unsavory, what can be summarized though is that the first day was dedicated to "drive out the bad" and the second day was to "invite the good".

On the first day, the people conducted a purification ritual by choosing two scapegoats who are the poorest and ugliest men in the city, and they were taken into procession, one was adorned with black fig to represent the men, the other white figs to represent women. They were then beaten with fig branches and pelted with squill plants, and eventually driven out of the city.

It is possible that they were treated more harshly as part of the purification in the festival's earlier days, involving stoning.

On the first day was also involved an offering of a ram to Demeter Chloe (green Demeter) since this is an agricultural festival.

On the second day, it was a celebration dedicated to making offerings for Apollo as a god who guards the crops from pests and diseases, they offered the thargelos, a soup consisted of grains and all their agricultural bounties.

In later times, hymn-singing competitions were held for men's and boys' choirs, the winner then received a tripod which they dedicated to Pythian Apollo at his temple near Ilissos.

Modern adaptation

It's not really possible, and really messed up, to use human scapegoats in modern day lmao, so instead, I choose to see this as a purification ritual akin to Hekate's Deipnon, just dedicated to Apollo and more agricultural-based.

I cleaned up my altar and home, offered to Apollo and Artemis (I forgot to offer to Demeter at the first day 💀), and read hymns for them. I did a little divination and made a mental note of what major thing to leave behind about myself -- this will serve as the scapegoat, metaphorically.

I also made a soup with what vegetables I have, and some meat. I admit it's not really grand, but I still enjoy it, I could say the same thing about my adaptation of the rituals. Everyone but me was out at the time, so I took a good opportunity to unleash my inner Helpol.

[xsoloax]

hi im new into Hellenic polytheism but I still struggle with some stuff maybe few of you can help me 🥹

English is not my first language so please forgive me if my grammar is not the best 🥹🥹

I already read books and saw documentation and even have a whole notebook about Hellenic polytheism but I still feel if I don’t know anything at all 🥹 so here are my questions:

1. do I need to know all myths ? Because there are lot and I don’t think I can know them all at once 🥹🥹

2. how I can know which deities I want to worship? I love all of them so much I can’t really decide

3. it’s it okay to eat meat because I read that a rules hurting animals is not allowed

4. what if I pronounce anything wrong because it’s not my first language?

5. the household oikos is only for families so when I get married I’m allowed to do oikos?

Thank you for the ones who will answer my questions ❤️

[praise-to-phoibos]

Take your time in research 🫶, the thing about learning is that it never ends!! You'll eventually discover new things as you go.

May the gods bless your journey into Helpol, my answers are below and I hope they help.

There are essential myths such as poems from Hesiod and Homer, but even then myths were different and has a spark of each area's localized traditions in ancient Greece. Not only poems and hymns, there are plays, geography discovery, just to name a few. Trying to digest these all at once is going to be overwhelming so you don't need to know everything right off the bat, these will unwrap the more you dig deeper.

It is up to your calling, but how I choose deities to worship is seeing how they are relevant to my interests, hobbies, my dream career path, and what is it that I need help with in life. E.g. I chose Apollo as my main deity because I held art in high regard and health is important for me. Who you eventually worship is all up to you, and how many is also what you can manage.

Yes you can!! In ancient times a lot of animal offerings were made for the gods and eaten. Some specific sects like Orphism or Pythagoreans don't eat meat nor make animal offerings but they were, again, sects upholding their own specific rules. Also abstaining from meat is a thing in sorcery. But for the religion in general, yes you can eat meat, its up to you if you want to or not.

You'll be fine!! Pronounciations can be fixed later, and you definitely can engage with the gods in your native language or the language you're an expert in.

Oikos can mean house or family, it generally encompasses things synonymous with households, and families are not restricted to married people. There is also household worship. Household worship is even more relevant in modern Helpol since we now practice in solitude in our own home, ancient Greeks worshipped the gods mainly with the community (that's why there were cults and specific sects), and there are household celebrations like noumenia to bless the home, and household gods for the same purpose.

[cursecuelebre]

Etruscan statues of Apulu (Apollo) and Leto holding infant Apulu discovered in a temple in Veii in Italy made maybe around 510 BC

Photo by: Carole Raddato

[irisrainbowplumed]

Praise Gê! Mother of all life, beloved of starry Ouranos.

Praise Rheia! Mother of the deathless Olympians, lover of wild rites.

Praise Hera! Mother of Zeus' strong children, Queen of Olympos.

Praise Demeter! Mother of bountiful Kore, bringer of harvest.

Praise Maia! Mother of clever Hermes, nurse of the young.

Praise Leto! Mother of far-shooting twins, darkly-veiled grafter.

Praise Aphrodite! Mother of love in many forms, heavenly Cyprian.

May every mother goddess be loved and venerated on this blessed day! We give praises and libations to you, mothers who watch over us dear mortals, even when our own earthly mothers do not.

[apollo-32]

Currently, I am at an excavation. In front of the barracks where we store our equipment, there is a bust of Apollo and he is referred to as the “Excavation God” that protects us Archaeologists— the patron god of excavations. I find this very wholesome and amusing and wanted to share it here as well.

Also, the bust has been at this site for years according to senior staff members.

[homey-worshiper]

twins and aunt hestia

had an idea with little apollo being a ball of light and stressing his aunt

Support homey-worshiper

Support homey-worshiper

[blessednereids]

This is your annual reminder that “The 7 Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism” were not made in antiquity. They hold no true binding to Hellenic Polytheism as a religion as these Pillars were not followed in Ancient Greece—Or at any time until the last decade or so

They are, of course, nice to have in mind, and everyone should be kind and humble when necessary, but I’m honestly kind of tired of hearing that these Pillars are “foundational” to the religion or included in “Helpol basics” posts

A man named Timothy Jay Alexander initially created these Pillars, and while he took inspiration from Ancient Greek philosophers, he very much was not one himself

He’s known to be intolerant of Revivalist views of Hellenic Polytheism, and because of his strict Recon perspective, believes that queer, ill and disabled people cannot or should not be allowed to hold the title of Priestx (link)

You are allowed to hold yourself to standards like the Pillars, but acting as though they are actual rules of Hellenic Polytheism, or, Gods forbid, pushing them on others, is so disheartening to see

Just because something has a Greek name, doesn’t automatically make it authentically Helpol or from antiquity

The closest thing from antiquity that we have like the Pillars are the Delphic Maxims, honestly

Anyway. Do you what you like, but this is just some information for those of you who are unaware

[praise-to-phoibos]

When he beheld thy agony Phoebus was dumb. He sought every remedy, he had recourse to cunning arts, he anointed all the wound, anointed it with ambrosia and with nectar; but all remedies are powerless to heal the wounds of Fate

- Bion, Of Hyacinthus